Les venins imaginaires

Abstract

Poisons do not seem to be the most frequently used weapons in medieval Sweden. Nevertheless, more often than other types of sources, chronicles and laws offer some interesting examples of poisonings. As in other parts of Europe, the use of poison is linked with magic and is considered one of the worst possible crimes. In the books of Swedish law, death is the typical punishment for this crime whose victims can be men, women or even animals. In provincial laws, women are the only murderers who resort to poison, but in urban and national laws, men and women are both considered as possible poisoners. In literature, three women are blamed for killing people with poisonous potions. The first example is found in a text inspired by Saint Bridget: Blanche of Namur, king Magnus Eriksson’s wife, was accused of having murdered her own son Erik. The two others were Danish queens. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, foreign queens became largely considered as being real poison inside the body politic.